Sand prevents pigeons from getting sick

Another reason to feed grain is that birds can become deficient in vitamins and minerals if fed only a seed-based diet. When pellets are administered, the need is less because each pellet is enriched with vitamins and minerals and nutritionally balanced.

Grit is a mixture of gravel with shells, coal, clay, limestone, brick or other minerals. You can buy it in specialized stores or you can make it yourself. Pigeons consume it all year round and usually get it from nature. During the winter or if they are confined for a longer period, such as when they are in quarantine, grit should be provided at discretion, to keep their bones healthy and help them digest their food. The grain must always be fresh, so that the pigeons can munch on it with gusto. You need to remove the old one, wash and dry the space and only then put the new one.

When the composition of the grain is not balanced, mineral deficiencies occur. In such a situation, instead of solving the problem, the situation worsens: the pigeons tend to eat too much, to make up for the lack of some minerals, and there have been cases in which, following the high consumption of grit, the pigeons yes I am sick.

In addition to the function of crushing the grains, the grit also has that of integrating the mineral substances necessary for the body. Usually, the body needs these substances in very small quantities (on the order of milligrams). It’s about minerals, phosphorus, calcium and trace elements. They are mineral elements that influence each other, for example the ratio between phosphorus and calcium: a greater intake of calcium also requires an increase in the quantity of phosphorus.

Quality grit is a blend of several ingredients, not just one type of stone. A small amount of anise seed oil is sometimes added by the pellet manufacturer or, more commonly, the breeder. It is a sweet-smelling essential oil that pigeons are attracted to and is believed to increase the birds’ desire to return home from races.
Charcoal (which has a detoxifying effect), but also salts are found in the grain, in small quantities. Salts are especially needed later in the season, after the pigeons are exhausted from racing and need the salts to recharge.

Consumption of grit occurs differently depending on the time of year, treatments, sex and age.

Pigeons do not consume grain all year round with the same appetite. The females, 3-4 days before egg-laying, consume much more than usual, needing to cover the requirement of calcium used for the formation of the shells. After the chicks hatch, but especially when the chicks reach the age of 10-14 days and during moulting, the need for grit increases again. To avoid waste, if a larger quantity remains uneaten in the pigeons entered for the competitions, it is possible to donate it to the queen, where it will be consumed more quickly.

Grit has free rein to the pigeons, but with caution during pharmacological treatments. If you are giving antibiotics, it is recommended that you forego Grit during that period. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc can bind to these drugs and interfere with the absorption of the drug in the body (up to 90%), making them significantly less effective. It is necessary to increase the duration of antibiotic treatment, because it has no effect from the first one, which is to be avoided.

Grit makes up for the lack of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D3, phosphorus and calcium are essential for growing and adult birds. Birds obtain vitamin D3 in two different ways: by ingesting it in feed/pellets or through exposure to sunlight. Calcium supplements should include phosphorus and vitamin D3, as they increase the absorption of calcium in the body.

Pigeons need to stay in the sun for a long time. Direct sunlight is known to provide birds with vitamin D, which is necessary for healthy bones, feathers and reproduction. It also has positive effects on the metabolism and immune system, on the mood of these birds which are more active. Pigeons require additional calcium for laying. If they have any deficiencies, then the eggs are soft and fragile, they break, they do not last in the nests.

Growing chicks also have a high demand for calcium because their bones are developing rapidly. In severe or prolonged cases of vitamin D/calcium/phosphorus deficiency, chicks cannot walk and may suffocate to death because their bones cannot support the muscular movements needed for breathing. In some situations, puppies have a stiff gait, slow growth and possible bone deformities, especially in the legs (rickets).

Symptoms of hypocalcemia
Limp
Oasis
Deformed beak
Birds don’t do well standing
Slow growth
The birds rest crouched
Lost weight quickly

The advantages of grit
It puts an end to deficiency diseases suffered by most pigeons and other types of birds.
Pigeons are born strong and healthy
Strengthens the body’s defenses.
They no longer need drugs
Rapid moulting and growth of new, long, strong, dense and healthy feathers is observed.
The fertility of the parents is improved, the production of oocytes increases by about 20%
Pigeons no longer eat their own droppings (the start of many diseases).
Eliminates digestive disorders, especially foodborne diarrhea (loose stools).

You can make your own grits at home or purchase pre-packaged grits from a reputable company. On Animalux we sell, at direct importer prices, Redstone Versele Laga grit with shell, Redstone Versele Laga brick and pecking block, all with excellent results for maintaining the health of pigeons.